This invention relates to the field of alphabet games for children. More particularly, it relates to a ball and stick game which teaches children the alphabet and how to spell words.
There are many devices known in the educational and entertainment field which allow children to play a game while still fostering the salutary purpose of teaching them to read or spell. The game of SCRABBLE is usually played by adults but is a well-known board game which can also be played by children. A number of other games have been devised which have the purpose of teaching children how to spell words as well as entertaining them with a game.
One such alphabet game was patented in 1982 by Jesse Jones. Although the Jones game is a card and board game which also uses chips, it has the same general purpose as the instant invention. Jones U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,627 thus has the same purpose but teaches a different method and utilizes different objects and game pieces to impart learning to the child during the playing of the game.
The 1992 patent issued to Crow, U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,976, is an alphabet teaching and learning game which utilizes a set of 50 cards divided into two groups of 25 each. While the purpose of the Crow patent is similar to the instant device, it uses cards rather than the unique method of playing the alphabet learning game below described.
Yet another game used to teach children the alphabet and spelling is found in the 1987 U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,409, issued to Antonino Scalia. That game utilizes two disks and pivotable arrows which in turn provide letters for the playing of the game. While the Scalia device utilizes scoring and letters, the method of playing the Scalia game is decidedly different from the ball and stick game herein described.
Many of the games above described, as well as other alphabet games for children, disclose unique and salutary devices for teaching children the alphabet and spelling while also entertaining them. However, none of these games requires the manual dexterity and coordination set out in the instant invention. Additionally, the use of the ball and stick provides a physically entertaining as well as intellectually stimulating game for children.
It is an object of this invention to provide an entertaining game for children and young adults which also teaches them the alphabet and the spelling of words. It is a further object of this invention to provide an alphabet and word teaching game which also has an element of physical dexterity and exhilaration involved in playing the game.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a unique and entertaining game which has certain physical aspects and which teaches a child the alphabet and the spelling of words while also requiring physical dexterity and coordination. Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the below described Specification.